Adjustable drawing easel



July 29, 1958 J. M. MOORE 2,844,908

ADJUSTABLE DRAWING EASEL Filed Sept. '10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 John M. Moore IN VEN TOR.

BY M53049 3M July 29, 1958 J. M. MOORE 2,844,908

ADJUSTABLE DRAWING EASEL I Filed Sept. 10. 1956 2 SheetsSheet 2 Fig.3

0 Fig. 4 I y 44 54 50 2a 46 30 3a 86 I r- 52 as 20 24 4a 53 6? John M. Moore INVEN TOR.

BY 4 mm United States Patent O I 2,844,908 ADJUSTABLE DRAWING EASEL John M. Moore, Amarillo, Tex. Application September 10, 1956, Serial No. 608,849?

1 Claim. (Cl. 45-129 This invention relates to drawing easels and more particularly to a device to support a drawing board in such manner that it is capable of adjustment through reasonable angles in order to provide greater utility for the drawing board.

An object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for an ordinary drawing board which converts the drawing board into an adjustable easel, so that the drawing board is capable of serving additional functions and so that the drawing board is capable of being used more comfortably.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for a drawing board which may be easily carried from one place to another or which may be permanently attached, the attachment including for each side of the drawing board a base having a pair of extensibly connected elevating arms that are adjustably an elongated plate, having feet 22 and 24 at opposite ends and on the under surface thereof. An intermediate, foot 26 is elongated, but does not extend in a plane transverse to the flat base as do the feet 22 and 24.

There are two elevating arms 28 and 30 respectively, each armvbeing of similar construction. Ann 28 has a slot 32 extending longitudinally thereof and is pivotally, connected in slot 34 which is formed in the base 20. I .Themeans pivotally connecting elevating arm 28 to base 20 are preferably an assembly of a carriage bolt 36 and wing v nut 38, although it is contemplated that suitable equivasecured to the base and that are pivotally secured to the drawing board, the drawing board also being pivotally connected to the base whereby the drawing board is capable of being vertically adjusted about a pivot to selected angularity depending on the desires of the user.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drawing board which is provided with a support to retain the board in selected pivotal positions in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the structure in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In the accompanying drawings there is a drawing board 10 of standard construction and description and of any size. The drawing board is perfectly useful as such and is to be mounted on a table top 12, stand or othersuitable support, depending on the desires of the user. The invention converts the drawing board 10 of ordinary character to an easel and enables the drawing board to be used for various and sundry purposes which otherwise would be outside the scope of the drawing board. Moreover, the drawing board may be easily tilted from one position to another without the use of expensive drafting furniture. Moreover, such expensive furniture is not easily portable, whereby once installed, it may be shifted about in the same room, but certainly cannot be carried from one building or room to another.

The support 14 which is constructed in accordance with the invention consists of two assemblies 16 and 18 respectively, each assembly being identical in construction, but attached to opposite sides of the drawing board 10. Assembly 16 is made of a base 20, the latter consisting of lents. may. be used. The elevating arm 30 has an elongated slot 40 extending longitudinally thereof, the latter accommodating means to pivotally connect it to the under surface of drawing board 10. The preferred means consist of a carriage bolt 42 and wing nut 44 assembly, the

latter being carried in an aperture in mounting bracket 46. The mounting bracket has a flange 48 thatpresses against the bottom surface of drawing board 20 and that is screwed or otherwise connected in place. The interconnection between the elevating arms 30 and 28 in order to make them extensible comprises a pair of carriage bolt and wing nut assemblies 50 and 52 respectively, the carriage bolt of assembly 50 passing through a hole in the extremity of elevating arm 30 and through slot 32. Assembly 52 has its carriage bolt 53 pass through a hole in the outer end of elevating arm 28 and through slot 40, there being wing nut 54 on the end thereof. This extensibly relates the elevating arms with respect to each others and prevents any pivotal movement with respect to each other.

There is a mounting pad 60 near the lower edge of drawing board 10 and attached to the back surface thereof. The mounting pad consists of an car 62 connected at right angles to mounting plate 64. The latter is connected by screws or by other means to the drawing board 10.

Assembly 18 includes a structure identical to the described assembly 16. Among the parts are base 70, elevating arms 71 and 72 extensibly connected together by means of bolt and nut assemblies, mounting bracket 74, mounting pad 76, and feet 77 and 78 on the base 70. The base has slot 80 in it so that the bolt and nut assembly 82 can adjustably and pivotally connect the extensibly associated elevating arms 71 and 72 thereto.

In use, the drawing board 10 is perfectly capable of being usedas an ordinary drawing board. In addition, it is capable of being pivotally adjusted by loosening the various wing nuts and extending the elevating arms of each assembly and then tightening the wing nuts. At the same time the elevating arms are adjusted with respect to the base of each pair by being slid in the slots in the base. The adjustment of the drawing board is pivotal and is about the common axis of pins 86 and 87 which are used to pivot the mounting pads to the base of each assembly.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

An attachment to convert an ordinary drawing board of the type which has a planar bottom surface that ordinarily rests directly on a table top or other inanimate planar supporting surface, said attachment comprising a pair of supporting assemblies constructed and arranged to hold the drawing board in selected angular positions, each assembly comprising an elongated flat base which has feet along one longitudinal edge thereof, an elongate Patented July 2 9, .1958,

slot generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said elongate base and located between the ends of the base, a first elevated arm having an elongated slot, means consisting of a bolt and nut passed through said slot in said base and said slot in said arm to hold said arm in a selected position with respect to said base and at one extremity of said arm, a bolt in the other extremity of said arm, a second elevating arm having a slot through which the second mentioned bolt is passed, a nut on said second mentioned bolt to hold said arms fastened together in a selected adjusted position of extension and retraction, said second arm having an inner end, a third bolt passed through said inner end of said second arm and located in said slot in said first arm, a nut on said third bolt to aid in holding said first and second arms in selected adjusted positions of extension and retraction, a bolt in the outer extremity of said second arm, a bracket depending from the undersurface of said drawing board near the outer end of the drawing board, said bracket having an opening, a fourth bolt in said opening and passed through said second arm to thereby pivotally attach said second arm to said drawing board near the outer end thereof, a mounting bracket depending from the nndersurface of said drawing board near the inner edge thereof and having a flattened portion which is parallel to the flat base and which is fitted thereagainst, and a pivot connecting said second bracket to said flat base to thereby pivotally connect said drawing board to said flat base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 785,147 Barnett Mar. 21, 1905 1,735,292 Moratz Nov. 12, 1929 1,837,826 Mitchell et a1. Dec. 22, 1931 1,838,856 Mitchell et al Dec. 29, 1931 1,897,321 Mitchell et al Feb. 14, 1933 1,900,250 Mitchell et a1. Mar. 7, 1933 2,265,105 Farrington Dec. 2, 1941 2,471,003 Monahan May 24, 1949 2,691,239 McCollum Oct. 12, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 40,218 Netherlands Feb. 16, 1937 

